FALL is the third book in Kristen
Callihan's VIP series. John "Jax" Blackwood is a mega rock star with the
band Kill John. He is also a complicated and lonely man. Into John's life
falls the equally complicated and lonely Stella Grey. Stella is a
professional friend and pet sitter, but she feels as though nobody truly
knows her or makes the effort to be her friend for real. It seems like
fate when John and Stella meet at a supermarket fighting over the last
container of their favorite ice cream and then wind up neighbors.
Kristen Callihan builds a relationship over the course of FALL that seems to develop very
organically and beautifully. The flirtatious banter between this hero and
heroine is marvelous and the ratio of drama to fun and sexy times is
perfectly balanced.
At the beginning of FALL, John is
diagnosed with a treatable, but inconvenient and annoying, STD. I like
the way Kristen Callihan treats this subject. I've read so many books
about promiscuous male rock stars and other types of heroes who have
been incredibly sexually active, but in none of those stories did the
author ever cover a hero who had an STD and had to handle the
situation responsibly and realistically. Perhaps ironically, John's disease
helps move his relationship with Stella forward, because they take time
to get to know each other before things get hot and heavy. Kristen
Callihan also tackles another weighty subject, since John suffers from
depression. Callihan convincingly covers what it's like living with
depression and being a loved one of somebody who struggles with that
issue. In spite of including two very serious topics in this story, FALL also sparkles with the many
romantic and amusing scenes of a budding attraction.
I'm glad that Kristen Callihan chooses to tell FALL from alternating perspectives and give readers a
better appreciation of the two main characters. From their initial meet-
cute, as they battle over snacks during a snowstorm, John and Stella's
chemistry is delightful and is irresistible for romance fans. Initially,
Stella and readers might mistake John for your standard entitled rock
star, but Kristen Callihan writes characters who are more complex than
that. Over the course of FALL this
pair flirts and attaches to each other in a very unconventional, yet
utterly charming, way. Although John makes the classic male mistake
of trying to push Stella away at one point "for her own good," and
because he worries he might not be up for the challenge of a serious
romantic relationship, I like that he's an introspective hero who
genuinely cares about the heroine. Kristen Callihan draws interesting
parallels comparing how both John and Stella have lousy parental
relationships while eventually finding emotional support from a
collection of friends and other assorted people who care about them.
FALL is deliciously romantic,
superbly written, and a great character-driven story. The last section of
FALL shows the resiliency of
friendships, and women looking out for other women. The multifaceted
characters in FALL are a big part
of what makes this a must-read story. I look forward to reading Kristen
Callihan's next VIP romance.
The first time I met Jax Blackwood things went a little
sideways.
In my defense, I didn’t know he was Jax Blackwood—who
expects a legendary rock star to be shopping for
groceries? More importantly, a blizzard was coming and he
was about to grab the last carton of mint-chocolate chip.
Still, I might have walked away, but then he smugly dared
me to try and take the coveted ice cream. So I kissed
him. And distracted that mint-chip right out of his
hands.
Okay, it was a dirty move, but desperate times and all
that. Besides, I never expected he’d be my new neighbor.
An annoying neighbor who takes great pleasure in
reminding me that I owe him ice cream but would happily
accept more kisses as payment. An irresistible neighbor
who keeps me up while playing guitar naked–spectacularly
naked–in his living room.
Clearly, avoidance is key. Except nothing about Jax is
easy to ignore—not the way he makes me laugh, or that his
particular brand of darkness matches mine, or how one
look from him melts me faster than butter under a hot
sun.
Neither of us believes in love or forever. Yet we’re
quickly becoming each other’s addiction. But we could be
more. We could be everything.
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